As per data released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) in the April-June quarter of 1999-2000, passenger car sales went up to 1,29418 units as against 93,547 units sold in the same quarter last year. Players in the mid-size premium segment such as Ford, General Motors, Mercedes Benz and Honda Siel saw go down in the quarter. Ford had a 28 per cent drop in sales, selling 633 units as against 884 units in the same quarter last quarter. Sales of General Motors went down to 612 units from 981 units last year, a drop of 37 per cent. Honda Siel sold 2,064 units in the first quarter, compared to 2,721 units in 1998-99, a drop of 24 per cent. Mercedes Benzsold 262 units in the first quarter, against 334 units sold in the same period last year. Pal Peugeot sold just 9 units in April-June period, compared to 261 units last year.

Premier Automobiles have sold just 60 units in the first quarter compared to 1,080 units last quarter.

In the same period market leader Maruti had a modest increase in sale of 13.6 per cent, having sold 89,131 units as against 78,395 units last year. Buoyed by the jump in demand for small car, Korean auto major Daewoo Motors recorded sales of 5,839 units, up 130 per cent from last year while Hyundai Motors saw sales of 12,684 units in the same quarter this year.

With launch of its small car Indica, Telco recorded sales of 7,822 units in the first quarter, as against 653 units sold in the same quarter last year.

On the export front, the quarter saw exports of 3,284 units as against 4,480 units sold last year, a drop of 26 per cent. Mercedes Benz has exported 133 units this quarter as against 94 units last year. Maruti's exportperformance saw a dip over the year to 3,097 units compared to 4,010 units exported in the same quarter last year.